Waiting for the Cubs

THE VIEW FROM SRO -

Pitchers and catchers are in AZ, which makes it appropriate to start blogging on the site. Waiting for the Cubs (see link at right), scheduled to be published in April, begins on “Pitchers and Catchers” day, a couple of seasons back, so why not start a season of Cub reports on the same time this year?

And what is our mood this February of 2010, as we watch piles of snow turn to dirty gray slush and then nasty black sludge while our heroes begin their workouts on the sunny, dry, warm fields of HoHoKam and Fitch?

“Realistic” would be the most positive word I can use.  Are the Cubs good enough to contend?  Sure!  Will they contend?  Most of the fan predictions I’ve seen on various websites and blogs don’t give the Cubs much of a chance.  If you believe what the fans are saying, the Cardinals will win the National League Central.  A website called Sports Mogul …

http://www.sportsmogul.com/games/baseball2k10-predictions.html

… used Baseball Mogul software 10,000 times to simulate a couple million 2010 games.  The results find the Cubs in second place behind … the Brewers?  This is good news.  We don’t want anyone to pick the Cubs.  We don’t want the season to begin with any expectations at all, let alone high expectations.  So let’s leave it at this:  the Cubs have the talent to contend, and in a sport where injuries, slumps and other unexpected disasters loom large at all times, they have as much chance as anyone else to “be competitive,” usually used as a euphemism for being mediocre, but right now, I’m not going to look beyond Opening Day (which, as I post this, is only 46 days away).

And NONE TOO SOON!  We went to Cubs Convention and it made us crave big league baseball.  Fans everywhere, all Cubbed up in uniform shirts and caps.  Players everywhere!  We chatted with Ryan Dempster.  But you’ll have to read the book to know the story of our crazy, chance meeting with Dempster and his family in South Central Pennsylvania.

(Ryan Dempster and his wife have created  The Ryan and Jenny Dempster Foundation  to find a cure for DiGeorge Syndrome.  Their baby girl Riley was born with the disease, which hampered her ability to feed and swallow.  Click here to learn how you can help:  http://www.dempsterfamilyfoundation.org/

At this point I have to come clean and relate that this website was created to promote the book, but also to promote baseball story-telling.  When we have the final site all built and spruced up, you’ll see what I mean.  But we’ll also use the site to write about the 2010 season as we see it from our usual vantage point in standing room.

Which brings me to one of the most talked about issues of the off season — ticket prices.  You can find out the details at Bleed Cubbie Blue or Waxpaperbeercup (links at right), but the bottom line is tickets went up.  Surprise!  But the other bottom line is the fans don’t and won’t really care, which the new owners, the Ricketts family, knew very well.  If you can afford a $100 dollar ticket to a ballgame, will it make a big difference to you if it now costs $112?  Fans rich enough to spend that kind of dough to see the Cubs wouldn’t really care if their seats went up to $150.  The fans who are on the edge of being able to afford tickets, especially tickets for good seats, may stop going, but there are dozens ready to take their place.  Is it a shame that many longtime fans will feel that they can no longer afford to go to the games?  Yes, but it’s a process that has been going on forever.

As for us, we hope they sell out every game because that will mean SRO tickets will be available.  Last year, standing room cost $15.  This year they may be something like $17.  So what?  $34 for two of us won’t feel a lot different from $30.  Otherwise, it will be the 500 level for us.  Last year we seemed to be able to get aisle 523 seats with no problem, unless the game was a sellout.  These are great seats, as far as we’re concerned.  Virtually the same view as the press box.

Another major topic of discussion is the improvements to the ballpark. Bleed Cubbie Blue (link at right) has done a great job of keeping readers up to date on what’s going on.  We pass Wrigley Field often and hope like heck that they get rid of the ugly concrete panels that ring most of the park, as well as the cheap-looking chain link fence.  Go back to the wrought iron of the 1930’s, we say!

Check back with us soon to see the finished website.  We think you’ll like it.  And start thinking back to seasons past, to a game or games that stick in your mind as being especially memorable, or infamous.   We like to hear that you “were at that game.”

Play ball.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 3:15 pm and is filed under The View from SRO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.